आँखों में तेरे साये, चाहूँ तो हो ना पाए
यादों से तेरी फासला
जा के भी तु ना जाये , ठहरी तू दिल में हाय
हसरत सी बन के क्यूँ भला
क्यूँ याद करता हूँ, मिटता हूँ, बनता हूँ

Vote Target - 8k+
Comments - 9k

Author's Note -

We are glad that you all are so involved in this book. I've noticed many of you are eagerly waiting for the misunderstandings to end and for the characters to come together, and I'm glad my story has touched you deeply. I also want to address some comments and messages I've been receiving. Some of you have shared that you're finding the story boring or have asked me to change the plot to speed things up. While I truly value your opinions, I need to say this, this is my story, and everything happening in it was planned from the very beginning. I can't change the plot or write scenes just to make them more "exciting" because that's not how storytelling works. As a writer, I have a vision for this book. Every phase, every emotion, every moment of misunderstanding or pain has a purpose in the bigger picture. It's all part of the journey. I should have a storyline to continue the book, I can't write just lovey dovey moments.

I will end the misunderstandings soon because it's not a star plus show na, but let the story proceed naturally. I promise I will not disappoint you by writing extra drama which is not needed.

I've also seen comments saying the breakup seemed too simple or asking why the characters don't communicate. My intention with this story is to reflect a touch of reality. Relationships in real life don't always break because of dramatic events. Sometimes, even the strongest relationships can fall apart over small things when there's a lack of communication or understanding.

And most important thing, I saw in last chapter many ss readers were giving spoilers, so please don't do this. Many readers have told me it ruins their experience and makes it harder for them to wait for updates. Spoilers take away the fun of guessing what happens next. If I ever feel something needs to be revealed, I'll share it myself.

(Har chapter me gyaan de ke chali jati hun🙂)

_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

The large living room buzzed with chatter and laughter as everyone gathered to watch Prashant and Aashi's wedding video. The air was filled with excitement, tinged with nostalgia.

"Kitne saalon baad dekhenge na," Arushi said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Maze aayenge! Mai toh bhool hi gayi thi ki mai kaise lag rahi thi uss waqt," Richa added, a hint of curiosity in her tone.

"Same, yaar. Mujhe bas reception ka look yaad hai. Engagement aur baaki functions toh pura blank hai," Ritika confessed, shrugging.

Divya, catching the quietness of one person, turned to Siya. "Tumne kya dahi jamai hai? Kuch bolo na!"

Siya, who had been sitting silently, seemed startled by the sudden attention. Harsh, noticing her unusual behavior, leaned forward, concerned. "Aaj kal itni chup-chup kyun rehti ho tum? Sab theek hai na, beta?"

Siya quickly plastered a smile on her face and replied with a fake chuckle, "Haan, Papa, sab theek hai. Bas video shuru hone wali hai, aur agar hum bolte rahenge, toh video kabhi shuru hi nahi ho payegi."

Naman chuckled and pressed play on the video. "Chalo, shuru ho gayi."

As the screen lit up with the first scenes, Kirti scrunched her nose. "Aage badhao! In logon ke muh dekh kar kya karenge?"

Naman shot her a deadpan look. "Main hi hoon wo," he said, unimpressed.

Realizing her blunder, Kirti bit her tongue. "Oh, sorry!"

Akash seized the moment and pretended to be a news reporter. "Aaj ki taza khabar! Apne pati ko pehchan ne se inkaar kiya ek patni ne! Dekh rahe hain Kalyug ka asar."

Kirti smacked his shoulder playfully. "Chup kar, nautanki!"

The video resumed, and soon laughter erupted in the room. Arushi pointed at Siya on the screen. "Dekho Siya ko, kaise muh phaad ke hass rahi hai! Lag raha hai, sare dant nikal ke nachne lagenge!"

Siya rolled her eyes, firing back, "Tumse sundar lag rahe hain, at least! Khud ko dekh lo, wo wali rakshasi lag rahi ho jiske muh se Hanuman ji ghus ke kaan se nikle the."

Everyone burst out laughing, and Richa leaned closer to Arushi, whispering, "Kya matlab, Shashwat bhaiya ke saamne ban-ne ke liye has rahi thi. Joker jaisa muh ban gaya, phir embarrass ho gayi thi."

Arushi snorted, laughing so hard she clutched her stomach.

Darsh pointed at another part of the video. "Shashwat bhaiya aur Akash bhaiya ka reaction dekh lo. Lagta hai pata nahi kaunsa joke sun liya hai."

Shashwat smirked, turning the tables. "Pehle udhar dekh lo. Tum aur Divya ek dusre ko plate lekar maarne ke liye ready lag rahe ho."

Divya pouted, defending herself. "Isne hi mujhe 6 pairon wali dayan bola tha pehle."

Akash chimed in, pointing at Naman on the screen. "Aur Naman uncle ko dekho, lagta hai traumatized ho gaye hain."

Naman laughed, shaking his head. "Tumhari aunty ne jabardasti ladai kar li thi. Kya karun main?"

The video moved to a scene where Ritika was following Arav. Harsh narrowed his eyes. "Yeh kya kar rahi thi?"

Tara joined in frowning "Bechare ko pareshan kyun kar rahi thi?"

Ritika laughed nervously. "Main bas ched rahi thi! Aur Arav mujhse bach raha tha."

"Tu usko itna pareshan karti thi?" Tara asked, smacking Ritika lightly on the head.

"Wahi to aunty, din bhar aise Mahabharat ke yug vale haan swami, pran nath, Arya putra aise bulati thi." Arav said dramatically, making everyone laugh.

As the teasing continued, Arushi caught something else on the screen and exclaimed, "Akash bhaiya ladki taad rahe hain!"

All eyes turned to Akash, who raised his hands in defense. Richa glared at him, crossing her arms. "Really, Akash?"

"Hatt, jhoothi! Wo engagement mein shaadi jaisa makeup karke aayi thi. Main bas roast karne ke liye dekh raha tha," Akash said, trying to salvage the situation.

Before the teasing could escalate further, Ishika cut in. "Aage badhao! Ye poora sirf engagement ka hai. Shadi ka bhi dekhna hai!"

The room burst into agreement, and the video continued as the group enjoyed reliving old memories filled with laughter, teasing.

As the video continued, Richa chuckled, pointing at the screen. "Siya ke saath jo dance kiya tha hum logon ne, wo professional dancer lag rahi thi aur hum dono joker!"

"Wahi toh!" Arushi agreed, waving her hand at the screen. "Isko aage badhao, please!"

"Hatt, hame dekhna hai!" Siya retorted, her mock annoyance.

The video played a clip of the trio dancing with Siya, all of them laughing uncontrollably mid-performance. Darsh grinned and pointed at the screen. "Dekho inn logon ko, dance karte-karte hasne lag gaye.

Shashwat, caught in the clip with a shy smile on his face, became the next target. Darsh smirked. "Aur Shashwat bhaiya, lag raha tha jaise dulhan ban gaye ho. Itni sharmahatt?!"

"Wahi toh! Ye toh Arav ki shaadi mein bhi dance karne ko taiyar nahi hai," Naman teased.

"Once a sharmeela, always a sharmeela," Divya declared, grinning at Shashwat, who shook his head smiling.

Ishika joined the fun, pointing out another part of the video. "Udhar Richa ko dekho, kisi ko ishaare mein daant rahi hai. Kis par gussa ho rahi thi?"

Richa laughed nervously, waving her hand. "Bas! Aise hi kuch chal raha tha. Koi khaas baat nahi!"

The teasing shifted to Ritika as Siya burst into laughter. "Ritika didi, tum kitni chapri lag rahi ho yahan. Zulfen nikal ke pose de rahi ho!"

Ritika groaned, covering her face with her palms. "Haan yaar! Mai khud bhi nahi samajh pa rahi thi kya kar rahi thi uss din. I am chapri, confirmed!"

"Bas has lo! Abhi aage ki video aane do. Tab sabko batati hoon!" Ritika threatened playfully, but her smile gave away that she was enjoying the banter.

Meanwhile, the camera caught a shot of Siya eyeing the food spread with excitement. Divya couldn't resist commenting. "Siya didi ko dekho! Jaise khana pehli baar dekha ho."

Siya turned red, hitting Divya lightly with a cushion. "Arre, wo bas naya tha! Isliye dekh rahe the!" she explained, though her embarrassment made everyone laugh harder.

Ritika seized the opportunity to tease. "Khud ko dekh lo pehle! Kaise muh bana rahi ho Darsh chidhane ke liye."

The video then shifted to clips of Darsh and Divya, caught in their usual banter. Ashi laughed, pointing at the screen. "Darsh aur Divya ki toh poori shaadi ke functions me sirf ladte hue videos hain!"

Prashant chimed in, laughing. "Imagine agar in dono ki shaadi karva di jaye. Shadi ke baad ek dusre ko zinda jala denge."

Piyush added with a mischievous grin, "Shaadi ke baad? Ye toh shaadi ke din hi mandap ke aag mein ek dusre ko jhok denge!"

Everyone erupted into laughter, except for Divya, who turned crimson at the mention of marriage. She stole a glance at Darsh, who was intently watching the screen, oblivious to the teasing.

Akash, noticing Divya's flustered state, smirked and raised his eyebrows at her knowingly. Divya caught his gaze, her eyes widening in embarrassment. Quickly averting her gaze, she focused back on the screen, trying to hide her pink cheeks, while Akash chuckled to himself, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

"Shaadi aa gayi," Akash said, smirking, as the scene of the wedding rituals appeared on the screen.

Richa squinted and pointed at the screen. "Udhar dekho. Arushi gusse mein kyun thi yaad nahi aa raha hai?"

Arushi, sitting cross-legged, folded her arms and sighed dramatically. "Arre, koi mujhe ready kar hi nahi raha tha! Keh rahe the, 'Tujhe to itni achhi art aati hai, khud kar le.' Matlab kya mai ab face painting karke ghoomti ?"

The room burst out laughing.

Siya, clutching her stomach, added, "Jaimala aa gaya! Bade papa ke gusse ke darr se didi ne makeup bhi dhang se nahi karvaya... uth ke bhaag gayi thi!"

Ritika, laughing, chimed in, "Aur jab bridal photoshoot chal raha tha, bade papa aaye aur photographer ko bhaga diya. Didi bhi turant khadi ho gayi thi bechare photographer ko bhaga diya dono ne milkar!"

Ashi's mother chuckled, shaking her head. "Dono baap-beti ek jaise hain."

While the conversation flowed, Akash spotted an opportunity for mischief. He was controlling himself for teasing Shashwat but couldn't resist. He leaned closer to Reyansh and whispered, "Shashwat ko bol na, wo kitna chapri lag raha hai."

Reyansh replied, "Tu hi bol de na."

"Arey, tu bol na!" Akash urged.

Reyansh smirked, turning to Shashwat. "Shashwat, tu kitna chapri lag raha hai!"

Without missing a beat, Shashwat shot back, "Aur khud ko dekh le, raamleela se bhaga hua Ravan lag raha hai."

The group erupted into laughter again, but the humor abruptly paused when Naman stopped the video and squinted at the screen. "Ye Shashwat ishare kisko kar raha tha?"

The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to Shashwat. He froze, his face turning pale as Siya, sitting nearby, closed her eyes tightly, praying she wouldn't get involved.

"Haan, batao! Ankh kisko maari?" Piyush asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

Shashwat stumbled over his words, desperate for an excuse. "W-wo... chote papa... actually..."

"Sach sach batana pada, kon hai wo?" Naman pressed further.

Before Shashwat could incriminate himself, Akash jumped in to save him. "Mujhe, uncle!"

Everyone turned to Akash, confused. Piyush frowned. "Tujhe ankh kyun maarega wo?"

"Arre, wo ladkiyan joote chupane ka plan kar rahi thi na, aur Shashwat ne wo jagah already dhoond rakhi thi. Isliye!" Akash explained with a straight face.

Shashwat glanced at Akash, surprised. Despite their ongoing misunderstanding, Akash had saved him. A small smile tugged at Shashwat's lips, but Akash looked away, feigning indifference.

As the video continued, Reyansh pointed at the screen and burst out laughing. "Divya ko dekho! Ek sleeve upar hai, ek neeche."

Divya gasped, quickly covering her face with her hands. "Arre aaaaaaaaa, galti se ho gaya tha! Hatao iss clip ko!"

"Tab nahi hata rahi thi jab sabka mazak udaya tha," Siya teased, smirking at her.

Tara suddenly pointed at the trio of Arushi, Siya, and Richa on the screen, who were blessing Prashant and Ashi exaggeratedly during a ritual. "Dekho teeno ko! Chhoti chhoti hain, aur ashirwad de rahi hain!"

"Arre yaar," the trio groaned, grabbing cushions to hide their faces, much to everyone else's amusement.

Darsh, laughing uncontrollably, added, "Aur dekho Ritika didi ko! Stage ke lehnga phela ke baithi hain, bilkul bhaiya-bhabhi ke aage."

Prashant smirked. "Ab dekhna, Siya aur Reyansh ko bhi bulayegi baithne ke liye."

"Aa gaye dono namoone!" Tara said, laughing loudly.

"Ekdum serial pose maar rahe hain," Divya added, laughing so hard she almost fell off the couch.

Reyansh, clearly embarrassed, muttered, " Ritika didi ye tumne ham teeno ke sath accha nahi kiya, Khud joker bani thi, aur hume bhi bana diya."

"Bachche ho kya? Khud se aaye baithne. Maine toh bas ek baar bulaya tha," Ritika defended herself, still laughing.

The video moved to the wedding rituals sequence. Harsh stretched his arms and yawned. "Chalo, poori shaadi vidai ka hai. Ab ghar chalna chahiye. Kal subah palace jaana hai toh packing bhi karni hai."

****************************************

Meanwhile Next morning, Darsh sat cross-legged on his bed, the room bathed in soft sunlight filtering through the curtains. In his hand was the same letter, now slightly worn from the countless times he had unfolded and read it. His fingers traced over the words, and his mind wandered back to the day he first got it.

FLASHBACK

It was an ordinary college day, but for Darsh, it was anything but. He had stormed into the classroom, holding the letter high like it was some kind of trophy. His best friends, Vihaan and Divya, were already seated, lazily flipping through their books.

"Guys! Tumhe pata hai kya mila mujhe?!" Darsh exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement.

Divya looked up, unimpressed. "Ab kya? Tujhe koi aur detention letter mil gaya hai kya?" she quipped, stifling a chuckle.

Darsh ignored her sarcasm and plopped the letter down on the desk. "No, Miss Sarcasm. Ye dekh! Koi mujhe pasand karta hai. A love letter!"

Divya's eyes widened, and then, out of nowhere, she burst out laughing. "Bhai, kiska dimag kharab ho gaya hai jo tujhe pasand kiya usne?!" she teased, clutching her stomach.

Darsh smacked her lightly on the back of her head. "Sab tere tarah andhe nahi hote na. Kuch log mere charming personality ko appreciate karte hain."

Before Divya could retaliate, Darsh's gaze landed on Vihaan's notebook lying open on the desk. His eyes narrowed as realization dawned. "Ek minute, ek minute... show me your notebook!" he demanded, snatching it up before Vihaan could protest.

Vihaan's eyes widened in panic, and Divya's amused expression shifted to a glare. "Darsh, bas kar," she muttered under her breath.

Darsh held the letter and notebook side by side, his mouth falling open. "Hawwwwww!!" he gasped dramatically. "Ye handwriting toh milti-julti lag rahi hai! Vihaan! Kahin tu apni secret fantasies toh poori nahi kar raha mere through?!"

Vihaan groaned and smacked Darsh's head. "Ek padegi abhi! Bakwas mat kar. And for your kind information, meri handwriting itni common hai ki koi bhi confuse ho sakta hai. Dekh clearly... this is not the same!"

Darsh scrutinized the two papers for another moment, finally nodding. "Hmm, tu kyun bhejega? Teri writing itni achi nahi hai." He grinned cheekily before sighing dramatically. "But seriously, ye hai kaun? Must be so beautiful... I've seen her eyes. Uff, just like some precious jewel!"

At that, Divya's face flushed a deep crimson, her gaze darting to Vihaan nervously. Vihaan caught the look and smirked knowingly, nudging her with his elbow.

"Kahani wo letter Divya ne toh nahi likha?" Vihaan asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Divya had just left the room to hand in her assignments to the professor, and Vihaan was eager to see Darsh's reaction.

Darsh, who had been reading the letter again, froze for a moment as Vihaan's words registered. But within seconds, he burst out laughing uncontrollably, his voice echoing through the otherwise silent room.

"Hahahahah! Kya kaha?? Divya?? Ahahahahaha!!" Darsh laughed so hard that he almost fell out of his chair. "Ruk ruk, hasne de," he said between bursts of laughter, his face turning red from the sheer hilarity of the thought.

Vihaan raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely puzzled but Darsh laughed more. "Bhai, pagal hai kya? How could you think like this? Puri duniya mein guess karne ke liye Divya hi mili?" He shook his head.

Darsh, still laughing, wiped a tear from his eye. "Tu seriously soch raha hai ki Divya ne ye likha?" he said, trying to regain his composure but failing miserably.

The corridor was dimly lit, the faint glow of the moonlight streaming in through the old palace windows. Darsh leaned against the wall, his heart thudding in anticipation. It had been a week since he last saw her, a week of restless nights and unanswered questions. Yet, he was here again, hoping, waiting.

The stillness of the night was broken by the faint sound of footsteps. His ears perked up, and his eyes darted toward the end of the corridor. His breath hitched when he saw her, dressed in a simple kurta, her dupatta draped loosely around her shoulders and her face was covered with duppata, along with her head. She moved silently, almost like a shadow, slipping another letter under the door of his room.

This time, Darsh didn't hesitate. He strode forward, his footsteps quiet but determined. She turned to leave, but before she could escape, he caught her wrist-bare today, soft under his fingers-and pulled her toward him. Her body collided lightly with his, and in a swift motion, he trapped her between himself and the cold stone wall.

Her eyes widened, a mixture of shock and something he couldn't quite place. Those eyes-dark and shimmering-felt so familiar, like a distant memory that danced just out of reach. He couldn't look away.

"You feel so familiar," he murmured, his voice low, almost a whisper, as if speaking louder might shatter the moment. His gaze bore into hers, searching. "It's like I've known you for a lifetime and yet... you're still a mystery I can't solve."

She blinked, her lashes trembling, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Instead, she pressed her palms lightly against his chest, trying to push him away. But Darsh didn't budge. His hand slid down from her wrist to